Sunday, 21 October 2012

Supple Sataporn impresses in
Flyboard World Championship

THAILAND’S Srirang Sataporn exhibited daring spins and flips to beat Emmanuel Jules of France and entered the top four in the Flyboard World Championship at Doha Bay on Saturday.

Sataporn and Jules contested the last quarter-final in the fading light and the Thai performed brave technical maneouvres to qualify for the last four stage.

Only two Asian riders were able to find a place in the quarter-finals but Sataporn’s compatriot Chomsen Anon was beaten by American Trey Andrews.

French Stephane Prayas and Swede Petter Berglund also won their quarter-final matches to keep their challenge alive. Prayas defeated Lindsay McQueen of Spain and Berglund was a winner against Poland’s Robert Jaszczold.

Earlier, local riders also took part in the event and it was only Fahad al Harib, who progressed into the last 16 round before being beaten by Spanish Lindsay McQueen.

More than 60 riders entered the Doha round of the world series and it was the first time that this unique event has been organised here. This sport has been introduced by French world jet ski champion Franky Zapata. Then 32 qualified for the second round, to be followed by last 16 and last eight stages. The final will be contested by top three performers and the winner will be declared on the highest technical level of performance.

The flyboard is powered by jets of water that are generated by an aqua scooter and forced through a tube connected to a platform that the rider straps his feet into. The performer pilots the board by using his legs to alter the direction of the pressurised water jets, which allow him to perform a variety of aerial maneuvers, including flips, spins and a series of dives where he imitates a dolphin.